Making A Difference: Helping Homeless Pets Find Good Homes

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Twice a month, WCCO teams up with American Equity Mortgage to give out the “Making a Difference” award to honor those people who make our community better. The winner gets a prize of $500 to spend any way he or she wants.

In 2000, when Ashley Van Oert was 12, she lost her dog Coco. She was crushed, but her Mom told her to start something positive in her dog’s memory.

Last year, she did it. She started Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue whose mission is to help pets find foster and “forever” homes.

That’s why she’s the winner of a Making a Difference Award.

“You don’t have your own building, so you have to rely on people in their own homes,” said Van Oert, Making a Difference Award Winner. “We rely on everyone here to house them until we have a forever home.”

Amelia co-anchors the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. news Monday through Friday. She’s been with the station since 1996. Ten years later, her husband, Frank Vascellaro, joined her as co-anchor. They are the first married couple to co-anchor a news...

One Comment

You really deserve medal for your good work, Through you I found a perfect dog for a friend. This was a puppy mill mama, who is really enjoying life wih a very devoted and loving owner. We think she probably thinks she has gone to doggie heaven, because she has been give a second chance. She is alreay devoed to her new owner.

Thank you Ashley for making the owners dream come true and for helping this older dog with a great new life.

People have no idea how much time, effort and money it takes to run an animal rescue. Please, think about being a foster home or doing a little volunteer work for groups like Coco’s Heart. Without foster homes and volunteers, wonderful people like Ashley wouldn’t be able to make a difference. Consider being a foster home or volunteer, today!!! And always “adopt” don’t shop